Niger: Armed attackers kill 37 people

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Deadly attack in Tillaberi in Niger in January: the armed attacks are increasingly directed against the civilian population in the border region

Photo: STR / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock

There are repeated bloody attacks on the civilian population in Niger.

According to the government, 37 people have been killed in an attack in the terror-ridden West African state.

Armed men on motorcycles had attacked the village of Darey Dey in the Tillaberi region on the border with Mali, the Ministry of the Interior said.

14 children were among the dead.

It was initially unclear who was behind the attack.

A number of armed groups are active in Niger and other countries in the Sahel region.

Some have sworn their allegiance to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network or the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia.

In Niger, with its around 23 million inhabitants, there are repeated attacks, especially in the border regions with Mali.

The government has little control in the desert-like expanses outside the cities - which is not only exploited by jihadist groups, but also by criminal networks such as people smugglers.

Just a few weeks ago, at least 15 soldiers were killed on the border with Mali.

They were ambushed in the Torodi district and hit by a self-made explosive device.

At the end of July, 33 villagers were killed in two attacks, also on the border with Mali.

asc / dpa